David Bowie, 1947-2016

Posted on January 11, 2016 by John S

Got your mother in a whirl…

7.10 this morning. I drag myself out of bed. I check my iPhone for messages. A Guardian news alert. “David Bowie has died, aged 69”. I’m kind of stunned. This can’t be. He’s just released a new album – I haven’t even bought it yet. “Blackstar”. It all makes sense now…

The author David Mitchell once wrote, “If the right words existed, we wouldn’t need music”. But we do need music, because the right words are never there.

Only the music can really tell you the story of David Bowie. And maybe the images*……

IMG_0572_2

What an amazing run! What an incredible journey, from 1971 to 1983.

But I’ll try a few words too. In fact, I wrote a lot of them in my music story, “I Was There”. Bowie was integral to three of the early chapters: the first on my journey through pop into rock, the one on Punk, and then the New Romantics. Bowie wasn’t part of the punk or New Romantic movements, but they couldn’t have existed without him. Glam would have been nothing without Ziggy Stardust, though he existed on a different plane to all the others. And his influence on pop and rock, especially the innovators, remains as profound today as it ever was.

As I wrote a piece about Radiohead – the best band in the world today, in my estimation – I listened to the great albums again and again. And I heard Bowie everywhere – just listen to “Karma Police”, and you’ll know what I mean. Give me band that has broken boundaries, challenged the norms, innovated, and you’ll find the spirit of Bowie lurking.

Five memories from so many…

1 – It’s 1973. I’m 14 and I have a token to spend in Woolworths. A Christmas present I think. Time to buy my first proper LP – I only had compilations before that. The choice: “Slayed” by Slade or “Aladdin Sane” by Bowie. “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” vs “Jean Genie”. I wavered, I wobbled… and chose Slade. Wrong choice! But I loved Slade as much as Bowie then, and of course I bought “Aladdin Sane” later on. Today I don’t listen to Slade often, though they will always have a place in my heart. But “Aladdin Sane” is still a staple. From the hard rocking of “Jean Genie” and “Cracked Actor” through to the eerie jazziness of “Lady Grinning Soul” and the title track, it is a total joy. Close to being my favourite.

2 – My first Bowie album was the next, “Diamond Dogs”. 1974. It reminds me of hitching lifts home from Oakham School to home, an RAF base 5 miles away, on Saturday afternoons, when there were hardly any buses. No idea why – I think I just had “Rebel Rebel” and “Big Brother” in my head as I walked along the road. The cover was controversial: Bowie was half man-half dog and early versions had his genitals on display. It was Bowie’s dystopian album – aside from the rock’n’roll of “Rebel Rebel” and “Diamond Dogs” it had an overwhelming sense of sleaze and despair. It fascinated me – I hadn’t nothing else like it in my collection. It opened my mind to the future. And looking back, there were intriguing hints in “1984” of his next excursion, into funk and Philly Soul, on “Young Americans”.

3 – 1976. The Thin White Duke was perhaps the Bowie persona that fascinated me most. Not the dubious salute-at-Victoria-Station Bowie, but the other-worldly being that featured in “The Man Who Fell to Earth” and the astonishing album “Station to Station”, which sounded like nothing anyone else had got near before. The title track was the key to wonders inside. Rootless, a bit European (before we did European in Britain!), starting with the sounds of the train, a jumpy guitar/keyboard motif, a screeching guitar, and then those lines:

The return of the Thin White Duke,                                                                                    Throwing darts in lovers’ eyes…

Afterwards a shift to a guitar and piano boogie, the refrain, it’s too late, a searing guitar solo from Carlos Alomar. The end. The bridge between what had gone before and the amazing adventures still to come. The Trans-Europe Express had arrived.

4 – I opened my NME one day in 1977 – yes, only ’77! – turned to the album reviews as I always did, and came upon one of the most ecstatic reviews I’d ever read in the paper which was my music bible. It was Nick Kent waxing lyrical about “Low”, the album when Bowie went electronic. He’d escaped to Berlin, to try to get out of his drug habits, though he took Iggy Pop along with him, which may not have been the best way to achieve that. Anyway, his sojourn in that city produced the most path-breaking album of his career. Brian Eno, ex-Roxy music, was involved. “Low” was one side of fractured, bleak but beautiful songs, led by the brilliant single “Sound and Vision”. Side two was a symphony, a wash of electronic sound. I’d rejected prog as a teenager, but Bowie led me in to electronic ways through a different route. His route. It was revolution and unquestionably helped to pave the way for punk and so much more.

5 – Forward to 2012 and the Olympic Games in London. Feature tune, to celebrate the winners, “Heroes”. It was magnificent and an obvious selection when you thought about it:

We can be heroes,                                                                                                                              Just for one day…

It was the title track to the follow up to “Low”. More of the same, just that bit more radical. But with that central track, which represented so much about the struggle of ordinary people against the world, and above all, the struggle of people in Berlin against tyranny and that symbol of everything, the Berlin Wall. When the Wall came down in 1989, “Heroes” was there, conveying those feelings that words couldn’t express.

Bowie in the 1970s just seemed always to be ahead of the game. Not just one step. Miles. Looking back you can see that he was an astute observer, a listener. He took his influences from people before others really got them. And created new music, new personas from them. There was no-one remotely like him, although so many were influenced by him.

In the eighties the rest of the world caught up with him. In my book, I liken his fate – and that of fellow pioneers Roxy Music – to that of the breakaway cyclists in the Tour de France. They race ahead, but eventually, near the end they are caught, absorbed by the peleton. They become part of the peleton. 1983’s “Let’s Dance” was probably Bowie’s last great album in his great run. It captured the mood of the times perfectly. But it wasn’t ahead of the times. He was in the peleton. A leader, but not the conductor.

Thereafter he never stopped making interesting albums – though I draw the line at Tin Machine! I liked “Black Tie, White Noise” a lot and respected his foray into drum’n’bass with “Earthling”. But it was only very recently that you sensed Bowie was really back, making music that made a difference. It started with “The Next Day” in 2013, which had an wistful, nostalgic quality, looking back to the Berlin era, but which also seemed to speak for the times.

And then, not so long ago, there was “Blackstar”. First the track, now the album. I haven’t heard the album yet, but I thought the track was easily the best thing he had done since “Heroes”. It felt like Bowie pushing the boundaries again, mixing the modern sounds of electronica with jazz. It sounded spooky too. I felt there was something going on here, though I hadn’t figured out what it was. Now, of course, we know. This was David’s last statement, a final gift to us. The completion of his legacy.

Now, of course, I shall listen to the new album in a different light. As a message to us all from a man who knew he soon was departing this life. Was it meant for that? I’m sure it was. We can forget the suggested allusions to IS in “Blackstar” and just concentrate on the feelings of the great man himself.

David Bowie, for me, is up there with Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, The Beatles, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, as the artists I admire and love, above all others. In terms of innovation and influence, probably only The Beatles match him, and I guess, win in the end. But in terms of influencing all the other bands from the eighties onwards that I love, Bowie must be the main man.

Needless to say, all I’ve listened to today is David Bowie. I’ve been through my top twenty Bowie playlist, played “Diamond Dogs”, “Aladdin Sane”, “Hunky Dory”, “Station to Station” all the way through. Listened a bit to BBC 6 Music devoting the day to the man. What else could they do?

RIP David Bowie. We will never forget you.

 

(*With apologies to fans of “The Lodger” – this was taken tonight with the lights on. And I couldn’t find my copy of “The Man Who Sold The World”! And for completists, I never owned “David Live” on vinyl. But I think the twelve on show are pretty decent!)

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Sportsthoughts (143) – The Mighty Quins: Harlequins 29, Saracens 23!

Posted on January 10, 2016 by John S

Yesterday we watched what must have been the best game of rugby at the Stoop since when? Maybe when we beat Leicester 32-12 in January 2015? My friend Jon was suggesting the heroics against Stade Francais in 2008! After last season’s overall decline, this game, more than any so far, showed the team is back amongst the best. Saracens were top of the Premiership, having won every league game so far. They looked back to their brutal best. Dour, based on winning the set piece, but winners. Everyone else hates them, but it sure is effective. (Until the same style is translated to international level – see England failures, dominated by Saracens management philosophy and often, selections).

Quins have been playing well this season. They got their England players back early because of the World Cup failure, but not surprisingly, some of them took a while to get back to their best. In fact, yesterday was when it really happened. They bought well in the summer: seasoned internationals like Adam Jones (Wales) and James Horwill (Australia) in the forwards, Tim Visser (Scotland) and Jamie Roberts (Wales) in the backs. Combined with the maturing of some of the excellent youngsters, after last year’s tough season, the squad now looks really strong, and deep. The greatest excitement is over Jack Clifford, who has been England Under-20 captain and seems like an anointed future captain of the senior side. He seems to be able to play anywhere in the back row, although No 8 may be his best position, and he has strength, intelligence and real pace. He is now one of the favourites with the Quins crowd – we are willing him into the England team!

The game yesterday was a real test. The top team in the league, who have had the hex over us for a while. Last season, Saracen’s visit was the lowest point – a 39-0 defeat. Embarrassing. So this was the moment to gauge our progress. I thought we could do it, though I accepted that there was a degree of wishful thinking in my assessment. Some of our gang thought a losing bonus point would be a good return. That is probably what the bookies would have said. Time for the reckoning…

The game started with Quins on the offensive, but in an early breakdown James Horwill was judged by the referee to have taken out opposite second row George Kruis with his arm and got a yellow card. Kruis did suffer a knockout blow and the game was delayed for nearly ten minutes as he was carefully tended to and put onto a stretcher. I guess at this point the Saracens fans would have been accusing Quins of being the dirty team. Of course we disagreed, thinking it was a harsh decision. Sympathy to Kruis though, and I hope he makes a full recovery in time to play his part in the forthcoming Six Nations for England. A good player.

In the ten minutes Horwill was off, Saracens asserted their dominance at the scrum, but Quins held it up, sometimes illegally, without getting anyone else yellow-carded. I suspect that showed that the ref thought he may have over-reacted to the earlier offence. Saracens did score a try eventually and converted it. Then they got another penalty, which Owen Farrell missed. At 10-0 down, I’m not so sure Quins would have been on for a win. Even at 7-0, and with the pressure on, the fear of another thrashing was there.

But Quins rallied and scored two brilliant tries before half time. One came from a lineout where Danny Care took some quick ball from Charlie Matthews and broke through the Saracens defence. He passed to hooker, Rob Buchanan, who finished it off. It looked like a training ground move that worked to perfection. Then, after Saracens hit back with another forward-powered try from Billy Vunipola, Quins scored an outstanding try, created, above all, by winger Marlon Yarde’s mazy and powerful run through the centre of Saracen’s defence. Marlon has had his sceptics since he joined Quins from London Irish a couple of years ago, but I’ve always liked him, and yesterday was one of his best performances. Back in that first Eddie Jones England squad? Should be. The try was finished off by the ubiquitous Jack Clifford. He took a knock to the head and went off, but returned after the obligatory medical check after half time.

So from a position when they were mostly under the kosh, Quins went in at half time 15-14 ahead. Playing proper rugby – fast, ball-in-hand, getting it wide: the sort that entertains the fans and works at international level. Saracens were simply the usual grim efficiency. I feel sorry for the likes of Owen Farrell and Alex Goode, who don’t get a lot of scope to express themselves in the Saracens framework until and unless they are well ahead on points. And this damages England because they are not in an adventurous outfit week-in-week-out.

The second half got really brutal. Saracens shaded it on penalties and went 23-18 ahead. I was composing one of those “valiant defeat” tweets in my mind, the sort the some say are not the mentality of a winning team – and crowd. But then Saracens finally got just reward for their cynical tactics. These are most obvious in the front five, where the spirit of South African rugby lives on (you can’t level that at their backs these days). Huge physicality, and never far from illegality. Quins centre, George Lowe, was spear-tackled, which means picked up and thrown to the floor head first. Very dangerous. Worst offences now punished by a red card. In the first half, Quins’ full back, Mike Brown, got the treatment, but because he landed on his back, the offender got away with it. You can imagine the reaction of the Quins crowd! It added to the edge of the occasion for sure. This time Saracens’ forward Rhys Gill was red-carded after an initial yellow.

Of course this helped Quins. They went on the offensive and got a couple of penalties, which replacement fly half, Ben Botica, put over, in a tricky wind, with the rain lashing down. 24-23! But just one penalty or drop goal could still win it for Sarries. They moved forward, and it looked like they were teeing it up for a drop goal attempt by Owen Farrell or Charlie Hodgson, who’d come on in the centre. (Why he didn’t come on earlier is a mystery – Saracens needed his guile). The atmosphere was electric. But in a breakdown, the heroic Chris Robshaw, who had a marauding game, won possession. Suddenly Jack Clifford had the ball and burst through the Saracens defence. He went about 60 metres at unbelievable pace, given the time of the game. Winger Ross Chisholm went with him, but Jack never quite managed to offload to him. No matter, Quins created a position to finish off the game, with James Horwill going over. A nice symmetry: binned in the first two minutes, which nearly lost us the game. Try at the end.

Ben had the chance to convert, which would have denied Sarries the losing bonus point. He scuffed it. But no-one really minded: it was an amazing win, rather against the odds. The whole team was magnificent, but the forwards have to take the most credit. After a pummelling early on when Horwill was off, they rallied and gave the backs the possession to do their thing. A true team performance.

So many good things today. Jack Clifford was outstanding, as was Luke Wallace and Chris Robshaw – an awesome back row. First team Nick Easter dropped to the bench for this game, which must be a first; but so good to have four great players vying for three places. Both props – Adam Jones and Joe Marler – stayed on all match, which is unusual. They were everywhere. Horwill and Matthews were powerful and excellent at the lineout. Young Charlie must be learning so much from his seasoned Aussie counterpart.

But one of the most encouraging things was the return to top form of Mike Brown. Post World Cup he seemed to have lost a bit of confidence – fewer surging runs. Yesterday they were back with a vengeance. And his catching, in difficult circumstances, was impeccable (or as a TV commentator once said about another full back, “imperial”!). Ready for the Six Nations.

Ah the Six Nations. When we forget about the superiority of Southern Hemisphere rugby and just enjoy the European winter tussle. This could be an interesting one for Quins. If new coach Eddie Jones brings in a new broom, we could end up with most of our squad still available for Quins rather than playing for England. On the other hand, such is the form of the team, we could lose even more players. Maybe Jack Clifford, although it might be a bit early. Maybe Luke Wallace? Tough competition for open side flanker, but I think he’s good enough. Marlon Yarde? A real possibility. Mike Brown probably. Danny Care also – poorly treated by the management at the World Cup, but really firing at the moment. Chris Robshaw? It might be Eddie Jones wants a new captain and will prefer to say thanks and goodbye to Chris. But his form is good enough for a place. Joe Marler presumably a cert at prop.

Most likely then, February and March will be a challenge, as it is for most of the top teams, when many of their best players depart for two months. But Quins are now well ensconced in a top four that is pulling away from the rest. So the play-offs are a real possibility. Long way to go though.

But after last season, it’s good to be writing in this way again.

Come on you Quins!

#COYQ

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Sportsthoughts (142) – Premier League at Half Time

Posted on December 31, 2015 by John S

19 games gone and 2015 almost at an end. A good time to review those predictions and speculate a little about the second half of the season.

Well, in August I was finding it hard to see beyond Chelsea for the title unless the cracks started to appear. I fancied they might, but with no great confidence. Did I say cracks? More like a bloody great earthquake as it turned out! At the half way point they lie 14th in the division, only three points off the relegation zone. And the great manager, the imperious Jose Mourinho, has been sacked. What odds would you have got on that at the beginning of the season?

It is a remarkable implosion. You could now look back at the second half of last season and detect signs of the rot setting in. But that would be hindsight at its most brazen. The fact is that no-one expected pretty much every part of the Chelsea team to misfire, and Jose, under an unusual type of pressure for him, react by starting to blame his players in public. There’s only one outcome when that starts to happen. Lose the fabled dressing room and sooner or later, you’ll get that call from the Chairman.

I think there has been a bit more going on at Chelsea. The disgraceful episode when Mourinho attacked in public and then eased out the club doctor, Eva Carniero, for coming on to treat Eden Hazard late in a game when Mourinho was still worried about the result, lit a slow burning fuse which eventually exploded in Jose’s face. It was first and foremost a poor example of football’s attitude to women. It disregarded the doctor’s duties. It fractured some relationships with the players. And, maybe, most important from Chelsea’s point of view, it threatened an employment tribunal case in which all the dirty linen would be exposed. My suspicion is that the club was happy to get rid of Mourinho to allow a more amicable settlement of the dispute with Dr Carneiro, or to remove the pressure of having to protect the manager in a court case. This way, the club’s reputation is less likely to suffer damage.

I’m sure Chelsea will claw their way back up the league under Dutchman Gus Hiddink  (for the second time). Top four is probably not on. But there is always the Champions League. Put your money on them now!

In my predictions, I suggested Arsenal were in with a shout if Chelsea cracked. I know I try to find a way to imagine Arsenal winning the title every year. West Ham are my team, but until they look capable of mounting a serious title challenge, Arsenal are my team for the top. They’ve done pretty well so far. They are top as we go into 2016, though only on goal difference. Being Arsenal there have been injuries and iffy performances – the latest the 4-0 reverse at Southampton on Boxing Day. In the Champions League they lost games that should have been easy, sneaked through their group at the end and as a reward for their under-performance, will have to play Barcelona in the last 16. Arsenal’s defence against Neymar-Messi-Suarez? Not optimistic.

But the Premier League is there for the taking. No dominant team. Mesut Ozil on fire – best player in the league this season. Ramsey and Walcott back from injury and doing well. Giroud on a goal streak. Cech solving the goalkeeper problem. Koscielny showing he is now one of the best centre backs around.  Sanchez injured – and tired after the Copa America this summer – but back soon.  Just buy that quality defensive midfielder in the window Arsene!

In my predictions I quite fancied Man Utd to do well. They have been unexciting and recently pretty poor. Early on they were winning despite being not that impressive. There is now a lot of pressure on manager Louis van Gaal. The fans don’t like his possession-based football. I’m not sure there’s that much wrong that an in-form Wayne Rooney and a bit more confidence all round couldn’t solve. There’s quality in the team. Maybe a bit more pace would help. I still think they’ll manage top four, but winning the title is beyond them.

Will van Gaal be sacked? I think it would be a mistake. But Jose Mourinho is available…

I didn’t fancy Man City this season. Felt like Pellegrini’s last season before Guardiola comes over from Bayern Munich. This despite two very pricey purchases in Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne. City started well though, and it looked like they would get out of sight of the rest before they even got going. But City then faltered, partly – maybe largely – because of the injuries to Aguero, Silva and Kompany. Without those three, they lack the same solidity, creativity and incisiveness. Who wouldn’t suffer? There have been some flakey performances. But still, at half way they are only three points off the top position. If they get their act together they could still win it – and even quite easily.

So none of the current “Big Four” have had all guns firing. And some have been turning them in on themselves. That has left a gap for someone else to fill…

Step forward Leicester!

This is the most remarkable story of the season.

Last season Leicester escaped relegation with a run of late victories. Most pundits thought they’d go down this season. So did I. But no, under Italian manager Claudio Ranieri – Chelsea’s ex-“Tinker Man” – they have been brilliant. Playing fast, well-organised and direct football, they have taken on all-comers and won most times. At the half way mark they share a points lead with Arsenal – the latter have a better goal difference. The two major stars have been striker Jamie Vardy, who was playing the lower leagues until two or three years ago, and Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez. But the whole team has been outstanding – you can’t be top at Christmas relying on just two players.

Inevitably, for us old-timers, thoughts turn to Nottingham Forest in the 1980s. Up from the second division, they won the First Division title – as it was then known – at first attempt, and then two European Cups in successive years. Maybe the greatest managerial achievement ever. Brian Clough, no less!

Can Ranieri emulate Cloughie? I think probably not. I’m not sure Leicester have the depth in their squad to sustain a 38 game campaign and end up top. They have been lucky with injuties so far – it may not continue. I think top four is a real prospect, but even that will take mental fortitude if and when things start to go a bit wrong, as they usually do for all teams at some point. Still, a Champions League place at the end of the season would be an amazing achievement.

I wasn’t too sure about Liverpool at the beginning of the season and I’m still not. They faltered under Brendan Rodgers and he lost hios job. They did well to get German, Jurgen Klopp. At first he energised them and they looked like contenders. Then they hit a run of poor form. My guess is that this will be a season of consolidation and he’ll have them going for the title next year.

The team that may yet challenge Arsenal and Man City for the title this season is Tottenham. I dismissed them at the start of the season. I take that back now. Mauricio Pochettino is building an exciting young team – a mix of English and foreign players – that is getting serious results in difficult games. They play a modern pressing game, but have pace and flair, and striker Harry Kane is back on form after a barren start to the season. They are fourth, only four points behind Arsenal and Leicester. It’s possible to imagine the title coming down to a battle between the North London rivals, Arsenal and Spurs. That would be great, but I think Man City will have something to say about that.

So, what about the happy Hammers? Well, I’ve been pretty pleased with the season so far. We are 7th at half way, though sharing the same points with Crystal Palace and Watford – two other success stories this season. Early on we beat Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool  away from home – all exceptionally rare events! And we beat Chelsea at Upton Park – another unusual occurrence in recent years. Slaven Bilic is proving to be a great manager – honest and erudite. The team is playing football that is so much better than in recent years. We’ve stuttered recently because of a raft of injuries to key players – notably Payet, Lanzini, Moses, Sakho and Reid – but the team has hung on in there, getting draws; and the win against Southampton on 28 December was a big boost. The star has been Dmitri Payet, a French midfielder we bought from Marseille. He was one of the best players in the Premier League until he got injured. Skilful, creative, hard-working, he’s had it all. He’s due back for our next game, against Liverpool, so I’m becoming more optimistic again. Top six this year is a possibility.

So, predictions for the title. Arsenal to win, City second, Tottenham third, Leicester fourth. West Ham sixth. Fifth, who knows! Probably Man Utd.

That means the Irons have to come above Liverpool, Everton, Palace, Watford, Stoke, who are all in the same zone at the moment. A big ask.

We’ll see!

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RIP Lemmy

Posted on December 29, 2015 by John S

Lemmy – Ian Kilmister – died yesterday. Although it was an aggressive cancer that got him in the end, he’d been unwell for a while. But this is a man who lived the rock’n’roll lifestyle and was wedded to the music.

He sang on Hawkwind’s mighty “Silver Machine”, but left soon after and formed Motorhead. They were one of the few metal bands totally respected by the punks. And they just kept going!

I never listened to their music all that much – except for that one song. “Ace of Spades” of course. One of the greatest metal/ rock’n’roll songs of all time.

 

Lemmy, we salute you!

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2015 – A Year in Music

Posted on December 28, 2015 by John S

Today I finished the editing and indexing of my music book, “I Was There – A Musical Journey”. Next steps: finalise cover pictures and find a printer. Early not-for-sale edition to friends and family while I work out what to do about clearing quotes. It’s a laborious process when you’re working and living your life at the same time: it’s taken all of 2015 to get from finishing the first draft to finalising it. You might call that inertia. I’d struggle to disagree. But I am now poised!

Today, as I completed the index, I remembered another band I’d forgotten to write about. My Bloody Valentine. A great band. Late 80s/ early 90s. Only two albums in that period, but influential. Waves of warped guitar. Hidden melodies. A strange air of melancholy amid the chaos. A cross between Cocteau Twins and Jesus and Mary Chain. I had to write something, but I didn’t want to disrupt the page numbering. I managed to squeeze in a paragraph in the eighties indie chapter which only required changes to The Smiths’ pages, so got away with it. But I suspect I would have waxed more lyrical if I hadn’t forgotten in the first place.

The trials and tribulations of the part-time writer!

In finishing the book now though, I inevitably thought, shall I slot in a postscript, a 2015 chapter? So the likes of the The Unthanks, This Is The Kit, Daisy Vaughan, Genghar get some recognition; and The Staves and Chvrches get even more? I decided no in the end. It would disrupt the flow. And lose the end, with my girls’ music choices – see this blog – which describes what always felt like a good way to sign off.

So this blog is the alternative chapter. Out there before the main thing.

It could be lengthy, so I warn you now.

I summed up my musical choices not so long ago, with my Top Ten, supplemented by another ten which weren’t far off. They were a mixed bunch, but, as my friend DC pointed out, the female voice was prominent. Coincidence? Yes and no. Yes, because it all depends what turns up through the year. No, because my affinity for what I call celtic soul, or in a few cases, duende, in my book, sounds best, to me when sung by women. You can’t really generalise about these things without risking a descent into caricature, but there is a tenderness and fragility, which suits the music, which women are just better at. Of course men can do it, but it’s more maudlin, less subtle. I don’t know whether that makes sense. In words, in logic, probably not; but that’s how I feel about the music in question. And as David Mitchell wrote in his brilliant novel, “Black Swan Green”:

If the right words existed, music wouldn’t need to…

So, The Staves, This Is The Kit, Daisy Vaughan, The Unthanks, Astrid Williamson, Samantha Crain, Lindi Ortega, Laura Marling and Rozi Plain all appeared in my top twenty, singing what might all have got filed in the folk section, when we had record shops with folk sections. But in there too were Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches, Courtney Barnett and Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice. It was truly the year of the female singer as far as my choices were concerned.

Top though, was Genghar, an indie guitar band. All boys, though singer Felix Bushe did go for a dreamy falsetto, which complemented the music. That was a bit psychedelic in places, full of catchy melodies, but also liable to veer off in odd directions, which was a key part of the appeal. It wasn’t your standard slow-quick-slow-quick pattern, though there were some mighty guitar passages at the end of songs, which especially worked live. I saw them twice this year – at Latitude and then at the Scala in Kings Cross in October, and they were brilliant both times. They’ve picked up a lot of fans, but didn’t manage to get into too many journos’ top tens just yet. I find this inexplicable, but it must come – I just think indie generally isn’t the in-thing at the moment.

Wolf Alice were probably the new indie band who got the most plaudits over the year. And they can’t be begrudged that. They were a huge hit at the festivals. I saw them at Latitude and they put on an awesome show. You hear so many things in their sound: grunge, Blondie, metal, punk and a good dose of modern pop. A contemporary sound, drawing on past icons. I had really high expectations of the album, “My Love is Cool”, but I when I first listened to it, it didn’t blow me away. That knocked it off the player for a bit, though I didn’t forget it. And when I was compiling my top ten, I was struggling to leave it out – it was the fabled No 11 in the end. But that made me listen to it a few times again, and now I’m hooked! But I wouldn’t know what to leave out to make way for it.

There was another aspect to the top ten: the jazz/rap fusion, as personified by Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington. It’s a mix I’ve always liked – I devote a fair bit of space to it in my book. Its heyday was the 1990s, when a compilation series called “The Rebirth of Cool” took fusion to places it had never been before. DJs like Gilles Peterson still keep the faith – listen to Gilles’ BBC 6 Music show on Saturday afternoons for a true musical education.

Kendrick Lamar peaked this year with his album “To Pimp a Butterfly”. The music covered his heritage, the lyrics his past, his struggles, the struggles of his people. It was heavy, but exhilarating stuff. I said in my top ten blog that I heard traces of Prince in some of the music. And, of course, Kamasi Washington was producing. His own album, the jazz epic called “The Epic” was pretty mind-blowing. It took time to get into because it was just so vast. But it is worth the effort. An extraordinary work. Together, Kendrick and Kamasi are taking their music to amazing places. Be on that journey!

Going back to the beginning of the year, I took a week off after New Year, having worked between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Three great things happened. I finished the first draft of my book. I saw some amazing art. See my blog at the time. And I truly discovered the music of Sharon van Etten. I’d liked her before and had the 2012 and 2014 albums, “Tramp” and “Are We There”. But it wasn’t a big connection. Then, for reasons I can’t quite remember, I gave the albums another go. Probably because she had a tour coming up. On my museum visits, walking round central London, I had “Tramp” on, and specifically the song “Give Out”. It suddenly hit me. The beauty of the melody, the angst about a new relationship, the optimism and fear – extraordinary. I played that tune about six times in a row as I walked from the National Gallery to the Victoria and Albert. In the heart of the city I love, listening to a song that just bowled me over.

I couldn’t stop listening to Sharon’s music for a while after that. I bought a few of the older albums and came across an impossibly beautiful song called “Keep”, off “Because I Was In Love”. So simple, so resonant. That celtic soul, or just soul. Pure love. I still quiver every time I hear it.

My wife Kath and I went to see Sharon at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in April. Guess what, the show was brilliant! I reviewed it here. I think that starting the year in this way may have set me up for the music I loved most over the year. The year of women.

I had a bit of a spell with The National, too, early on in 2015. I explored all the albums, but kept on coming back, in the end, to one song, off the most recent album, 2013’s “Trouble Will Find Me”. A very good album, all round. But the song of songs was “Pink Rabbits”. I loved the melancholy air, the minor chords, the lyrics where more words than usual were crammed into the lines, the beats. And my favourite lines of all were so offbeat, and yet they told you everything about the protagonist and his self-loathing and pity:

You didn’t see me, I was falling apart,                                                                                           I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in the park;                                                       You didn’t see me I was falling apart,                                                                                            I was a television version of a person with a broken heart.

2015 was the year when NME – the New Musical Express – gave up the fight too. Not completely – it’s in hiding as a free listings sheet with a few articles. But now, really, only an online presence. A good presence, but inevitably without the same impact it used to have. The NME was my musical bible in my teens and twenties, and I continued to rely on it for good tips about the music to listen to pretty much up to the end of its days. The 70s were the absolute heyday, when punk and new wave was in the ascendancy and the NME was their mouthpiece. Journalists like Tony Parsons, Nick Kent, Julie Burchill, Charles Shaar Murray, ruled the roost. As an 18 year old I hung on their every word. The paper remained like a good friend who knew all the best music. I was sorry to see NME give up the main paper, but I hope the combination of listings and online keep it going. I still want to know what the NME thinks the best 50 albums of the year were. There’ll be a few I haven’t caught up with and that will be my cue.

Along with the Guardian. As the NME has declined, The Guardian has just got better and better. And on the radio, BBC 6 Music. Marc Riley between 7 and 9 pm works best for me and I’ve picked up so much from his shows. But Mary Anne Hobbes, Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Gideon Coe and Don Letts and, of course, Gilles Peterson, have all been brilliant. Between them, I get the ideas and the inspiration to explore. Pretty well everything I’m recommending this year has come from the Guardian, 6 Music, the NME or Latitude…

Ah yes, Latitude.

This is now the central musical event of the year for me and my friend Jon. Along with various of our children. I won’t repeat the detail in this blog – it’s all here, if you haven’t seen it before. But each year it is inspiring, in different ways. You discover new bands, confirm your love of others, dip into a bit of literature, poetry, comedy. Enjoy the late night dance events, where the youth truly take over, but you are tolerated. And just forget all your conventional responsibilities for a few days. It’s wonderful! Hightlights for me, this year, were Genghar, Duke Garwood, Rat Boy, James Blake, Jon Hopkins, Clark, This Is The Kit, Manic Street Preachers, Noel Gallagher and, in a bizarre way, Thom Yorke, in the “secret” gig. But all 30-odd bands I saw were an important part of the experience. A special time.

During the year, I saw 18 concerts, which is probably a record for me. Children older, a bit more scope to do this sort of thing. We don’t go to that many together, but who knows in the future? I enjoyed some old favourites like Nils Lofgren, Robin Trower and The Waterboys a lot. I confirmed my love of contemporary bands like The War on Drugs, Courtney Barnett, Sharon van Etten and British Sea Power. Jon and I were energised by a fantastically noisy NME Radar concert comprising Palma Violets, Fat White Family, Slaves and The Wytches at the Forum in Kentish Town. We watched from balcony seats as the youth went ape in the stalls! Lager in hand, feeling nostalgic – and happy to see the rocking continue, rather than regretful we weren’t down there. Nils Frahm’s electronic/ classical vibe was extraordinary at the Roundhouse. The basslines made the seats shudder at times! Blur were superb at Hyde Park, with a great mix of old and new tunes. U2 were brilliant at the O2, the Dome, revisiting old memories, keeping the spirit alive. Samantha Crain was wonderfully warm and sincere at the Forge in Camden, and I’ve mentioned already how good Gengahr were at the Scala. This is The Kit were too. Kate Stables has such a beautiful voice and plays a lovely guitar and banjo. We had a great time at Chelsea’s Under the Bridge skanking to Rankin’ Rodger and his version of The Beat, which included his son on vocals with him. And a special mention must go to The Staves. I saw them twice, first playing the whole of their new album, “If I Was” at Wilton’s Music Hall in the East End; then in November at the Roundhouse. Each time they seem better than the last time. They’ve done well this year, but really, I say to you all, give them a listen. Their voices are supreme.

I must say something about Daisy Vaughan, who I only really discovered towards the end of the year. It’s a great example of how something just suddenly creeps upon you and becomes your next big thing. I’d heard a lovely track called “Earth Let Me In” on Marc Riley’s 6 Music show, made a note of it and then rather forgot it. But one evening I decided to catch up on all those notes I’d made – I write loads! I checked her album, “Light on Our Limbs” on Spotify. It was so beautiful I downloaded it immediately. And it became my new favourite, It’s a sparse, simple, fragile work – all those qualities I talked about earlier in this piece. She’s 18 and who knows where she’ll go from here. I hope the management don’t take hold of her and get her to do more pop/glam stuff, like has happened to Gabrielle Aplin and Ellie Gould, for example. Equally, that will make her money, so good luck to her if it does go that way. I’ll always relish this beautiful album, some of the loveliest songs I have ever heard.

Yes, the true pop world rather passes me by now. I don’t disrespect it – there’s just too much other good music for me to like. Of course I know a bit about the likes of Adele and Taylor Swift, but I leave them to my kids – and the other 95% of the western world who clearly buy Adele’s music. My sense is that in 2015 the music biz is worried because no-one is really challenging those two. They like repeat performers, but like a new phenomenon too. I’m not sure any of my choices will get there!

Having said that, one of my old favourites, Disclosure, are now really popular with the teenage generation. Their 80s/90s dance has broadened to include a stronger pop feel, and just about every 16 year old I know – mainly my own daughters! – wanted to be at their recent Alexandra Palace shows. In a nice touch this Christmas, my girls got me the vinyl version of Disclosure’s latest album, “Caracal”. The vinyl comeback… discuss!

I know that all this stuff, all this music, is ultimately trivial, compared to the big concerns that dog the world. But you know, I write about music because I do think it matters. And it brings people together as well as giving them solace – and energy – as individuals. Think back to the tragic events in Paris, including the gruesome attack on the Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan. A mixed, but mostly young audience gunned down by nihilists who believe that rock’n’roll is in some way evil, a threat to their own culture. If they believed that at all, and didn’t just want to cause maximum shock.

Utterly tragic, but only last night I was watching U2’s concert in Paris, during which they invited the Eagles of Death Metal on for an encore right at the end. It was such a powerful moment. The response from the crowd was fantastic, of course. A reaffirmation of life, love, music. They sang Patti Smith’s “People have the Power” together, before U2 left the Eagles of Death Metal to do one of their own songs. It was a beautiful, moving scene. Typical of U2’s generosity towards others, I should say.

The power of music. It won’t bring anyone back, won’t solve the problems of the world. But it might give people inspiration to give it a go. Because it unites as well as meaning so much to so many people as individuals. Giving them strength in times of adversity. The universal language of hope.

Because where the right words don’t exist…

2015.

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lovelondonscenes – 106 – Christmas greetings!

Posted on December 24, 2015 by John S

The Christmas lights on Regent Street.

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Christmas.

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A magnificent three: Star Wars, Jane Eyre, Hunger Games

Posted on December 23, 2015 by John S

In the the last few days I’ve been to two awesome films and a wonderful piece of theatre. A great cultural finish to 2015 – assuming there won’t be too much of that in the next few days!

First up, on Sunday, was “Star Wars: the Force Awakens”. Number seven in the series, and moving forward once again. Much hyped and like nothing else I remember with regards to all the fuss about spoilers. So I will stay well clear of the plot! Suffice to say it’s like all the best bits of previous Star Wars films rolled into one. All the familiar scenes: space fighter battles, ancient-looking spaceships, light sabre fights, a feisty heroine, grizzled old heroes, likeable droids, desert planets, weird creatures sitting around drinking and playing cards, at least one character fighting their inner demons, fearsome Dark Lords and hapless generals, Nazi-like rallies, gormless and dispensable storm troopers, someone discovering their Jedi powers and the good guys winning out in the end. Incredibly enjoyable, tense, gripping and in places, very moving. What more could you ask for in a cinematic experience?

The newcomers – Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn – are both excellent. Both young British actors. Fair to say they’ll be the central characters in a few more episodes.

Even if you’re not familiar with the the series, go see it over Christmas. Perfect for the season.

By way of contrast, on Monday, I went to the National Theatre to see “Jane Eyre” – the Bristol Old Vic’s translation of the Victorian Gothic novel to the stage. It’s three hours twenty minutes long and you are never less than gripped. And sometimes transfixed. There’s so much in the book that is dramatic that it’s no surprise that the Bristol Old Vic first performed the play in two parts. So the London show is a boiled down version!

I have a bit of a soft spot for the book. Three years ago I read it over a weekend, looking for themes and good quotes to help my son with his A Level revision. I rarely read a book so quickly and enjoyed the pace and intensity it brought, especially with a story with so many ups and downs – mostly downs, until a movingly happy ending. Unlikely some of the scenes may be, but they lend themselves to good theatre.

The play strips the plot down to its essence and then rebuilds it, setting the drama on a stark, simple set of wooden platforms, window frames and ladders. And then music and song is added. Some old, some drawn from modern pop. Melanie Marshall, who also emerges as Bertha, the mysterious inhabitant on the top floor of Thornfield, has a powerful and rather haunting voice. The music works really well. It doesn’t make it “Jane – the Musical”, but gives the plot, the sadness, the cruelty, but also the love, a great resonance.

Madeleine Worrall, as Jane, is compelling throughout. She grows as Jane grows, battling her impulses to protest, to love, fighting against convention, but trapped by it, learning eventually to forgive and winning out in the end. We go home happy that it worked out for Jane. She deserved it! And Madeleine deserves the accolades. She is on stage for every minute of the performance, more often than not portraying some aspect of high emotion. She must be exhausted by the end.

Again, you don’t need to know the story beforehand to enjoy this fantastic piece of (melo)drama. Just lap it up.

And then, last night, I finally got around to seeing the last of the “Hunger Games” films, “Mockingjay, Part 2”. I’m sure the main motivation for splitting the last book into two was to make more money from the franchise, but it also allowed space to explore Katniss’s feelings and dilemmas, as she becomes the symbol of the revolution, a pawn in the battle between the Capitol and the Rebels, and increasingly torn as associating with her leads to death, torture or both. The first “Mockingjay” film was a scene setter, darker in tone than its predecessors. Less action, more character development. It was my favourite so far and set things up nicely for the assault on the Capitol and President Snow in this last instalment. So we have plenty of gripping action in Part Two, and some gruesome ends for some of the heroes of the film. Nothing ever goes that well in the Hunger Games world. The final twist in the plot is brilliantly executed, and while some may find the final scene unnecessary and a little cloying, it is part of the book and brings some relief to a grim, if exciting tale.

Jennifer Lawrence is, of course, magnificent throughout – convincing in the range of emotions she has to display, with that mix of feistiness, recklessness and vulnerability. Possibly Peeta’s battle with his demons is a little under-developed in the film; but this is Katniss’s story above all.

So yes, I loved the film, loved the series, loved the books, which I wrote about in 2013. See The Hunger Games Trilogy. There is talk of prequels. That feels contrived, but I guess you could do Haymitch’s backstory, or even the story of how the Capitol won power in the first place. But there couldn’t be Katniss in that – or Jennifer Lawrence. That wouldn’t be good!

Three different experiences, but all, in their various ways, gripping, brilliantly executed, implausibly dramatic and in the end, pretty moving. Despite everything love wins through in one way or another. And so we stay optimistic. Keep trying and it might just work out.

Believe in good.

My thought for Christmas!

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My Top Ten – Albums of 2015

Posted on December 11, 2015 by John S

It’s that time of year when it has to be done – my top ten albums of 2015!

I had more candidates this year than in previous ones, as I’ve spent a lot of time listening BBC 6 Music and consequently hearing so many good new sounds. Mostly Marc Riley’s weekday evening show, but also Gideon Coe, Mary Anne Hobbs, Lauren Laverne, Don Letts, Tom Ravenscroft and, of course, Gilles Peterson. With the book finished (though editing and now indexing has taken me all this year) I’m not spending quite so much of my time listening to past music, though of course I’m listening to the old playlists a lot still.

So, it’s a year in which indie and sounds with a folky edge dominate, but with a leavening of rap and jazz. A very good year.

No 1. A Dream Outside, by Gengahr

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Best indie guitar album I’ve heard since, well, probably the Arctic Monkeys’ first, and The Strokes before them. Swirling guitars, eerie falsetto vocals, a hint of psychedelia and some lovely, uplifting melodies. Live, it really rocks when the guitars hit top gear. Favourite songs: the twisted “Powder”, the simply uplifting “She’s a Witch” (the crowd favourite), the REM-influenced “Heroine” and the dreamy melody of “Lonely as a Shark”. An exciting start for Gengahr – can they go on to great things?

No 2. If I Was, by The Staves

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The Staves’ second album, produced by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. To the beautiful folk-rooted pop of the first album, the Watford trio have added a sheen of Americana and continued their exploration of what you might call prog-folk. Live, it works fantastically well. And their vocals are as wonderful as ever. The duo of songs, “No You, No Me, No More” and “Let Me Down” have the best vocal harmonies and interplay they have managed yet. Justin Vernon was apparently blown away by the beauty of their singing. I am every time.

No 3. Bashed Out, by This Is The Kit.

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Fronted by singer, banjo player and guitarist Kate Stables, This Is The Kit play the most beautiful, wistful folk, with a modern and occasionally quirky touch. There are hints of John Martyn when they go electric – that really comes out live. Favourite tracks include “In Cahoots”, which is the one that introduced me to the band, and the lovely opener, “Misunderstanding”. That one echoed through my head during our summer holiday in Antibes. It felt right in a place I where had so much time to think and imagine, sitting on the balcony on balmy evenings. This is a wonderful, rather moving album from start to finish.

No 4. Every Open Eye, by Chvrches

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Chvrches’ debut, “The Bones of What You Believe” was my top album of 2013. “Every Open Eye” is similar in style, but with a bigger and brighter production. Lauren Mayberry’s delicate but feisty vocals still float over the punching electro-pop beats and swirls. I found it less distinctive than the first album initially, but it grew and grew on me, as I knew it would. Favourite track: the absolutely banging “Keep You on my Side”. Ought to become a dancefloor classic, though Chrvches’ audience is student indie rather than younger teens.

No 5. Light on our Limbs, by Daisy Vaughan

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A recent discovery for me, although the album came out in March. It’s an extended EP really: seven tracks of simple, unerring beauty. Poetic and entrancing. Daisy has a beautiful voice – one to soothe the soul. The musical backing is spare – almost non-existent at times – but a perfect accompaniment to that voice. I just haven’t stopped playing this since I first heard it. I was tempted to put it right in at No 1, but thought that might be too hasty. Wonderful stuff though.

No 6. The Epic, by Kamasi Washington

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“The Epic” is, well, epic! Awesome in its scope, its sound, its ambition, its length. Kamasi Washington himself plays saxophone in a jazz ensemble that takes the form to all its boundaries. At first it’s rather overwhelming, such is its scope and layeredness. But in time the individual songs truly reveal themselves. I saw him and his band play live at the Barbican in November – that convinced me of his and the album’s greatness. And he played a big part in album No 8…

No 7. Mount the Air, by The Unthanks

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One of the most beautiful, affecting songs I have heard all year is “Flutter” by The Unthanks. The album gives you more in that vein. A sound rooted in traditional folk but with a modern take. The backdrop to “Flutter” has an electronic drum beat and violins that sound like they strolled out of a James Bond movie. Another soothing, enveloping album.

No 8. To Pimp a Butterfly, by Kendrick Lamar

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One of the most ambitious rap albums of all time, sonically. The moment when Kendrick Lamar truly reaches back into his heritage, especially jazz as well as soul. Sometimes I find myself thinking of Prince as I listen. This is fusion at its complex best. Lyrics a little wearing at times and self-indulgent, but that’s fairly typical of rap. Part of the product. It’s the sound that gets me loving this one. And no surprise that it is so ambitious when you know that Kamasi Washington produced and played on it.

No 9. Faded Gloryville, by Lindi Ortega

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Readers of this blog will know that I think Lindi Ortega sings some of the finest country songs known to mankind. She defines the sad song with an awesome beauty. The slower ones are the ones that drew me in and there are less of them on this, her fourth Nashville album. So I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t blown away. But it reveals itself after a few listens and is a fine addition to her collection. She tours the UK in February 2016. Go and see her.

No 10. Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I just Sit, by Courtney Barnett

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Courtney Barnett is an Aussie who plays a rocking, sometimes bluesy indie, peppered with sharp, humorous observations about modern life – and how she copes with it. It’s engaging rock’n’roll and brilliant live.  “Sometimes” follows 2013’s double EP, a collection of songs up to that point, called “ A Sea of Split Peas”. I often play the two albums together, on shuffle. It’s a jumble of sounds whose spirit belongs in punk and new wave. Which I guess is part of the reason I love it.

The best of the rest…

So many other good ones, all of which could easily have made the ten (Wolf Alice and C Duncan especially). All worth a listen.

My Love is Cool – Wolf Alice – indie thrash and pop collide to make one of the hit bands of this year’s festivals; Architect – C Duncan – lush and dreamy, made in his bedroom; Under Branch & Thorn & Tree – Samantha Crain – real downhome authentic sounds from the heart of America; The Magic Whip – Blur – a return to form that surpassed expectations and brilliant at Hyde Park; Modern Streets – Beat Spacek – these are the London streets in electronica; What Went Down – Foals – stadium rockers now, but still a bit of that math rock; Everything Else Matters – Pinkshinyultrablast – Russian take on the big sounds of U2, The Horrors, Cocteau Twins and Radiohead; Short Movie – Laura Marling – a beautiful anguished piece of folk-soul; Born in the Echoes – The Chemical Brothers – still pumping out those awesome electro-beats; Friend – Rozi Plain – a delicate almost insubstantial thing, like a spider’s web – and Rozi plays bass in This is the Kit; Time to go Home – Chastity Belt – fair to say early REM are an influence; We Go to Dream – Astrid Williamson – bit like London Grammar and with the hymn-like “Saint Saviour”

Great singles

The double single, “Human Troll” by Monotony and “Transmitters” by Sauna Youth, was the best punky noise I heard all year.

And David Bowie’s awesome ten minute piece, “Blackstar” is, I think, genuinely the best thing he’s done since “Let’s Dance” in 1983. Its use of jazz textures in quite this way is a new direction for Bowie and if the promise of “Blackstar” is fulfilled in the forthcoming album, we could be in “Heroes”/”Low” 2016-style territory. Maybe he should team up with Kamasi Washington and Kendrick Lamar. Now that would be epic.

Rediscoveries of 2015

Early this year I had a big encounter with the music of Sharon van Etten. Suddenly the true beauty and despair of it hit me. The catalyst was the wonderful “Give Out” from 2012 album, “Tramp”. I just couldn’t get that one out of my head and played it constantly on my guitar too. “Tramp” is a great album, as is “Are We There?” from 2014. I had them both already, but now they became special. Patti Smith, Bruce, Joni Mitchell, country heartbreak – it was all there. She was superb live, at Shepherd’s Bush O2 Empire.

I delved into her back catalogue too, and discovered 2009’s “Because I was In Love”, which had a song called “Keep” on it, which was one of the most impossibly lovely, wistful songs I’ve ever heard. One that Daisy Vaughan would sing beautifully too.

I also finally got The National. And the song that did it for me was “Pink Rabbits” with its tortured lyrics and classic sad melody. Lyric of the year for me was you didn’t see me, I was falling apart; I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in the park. Genius.

So 2015… it was a very good year.

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The Importance of the European Union

Posted on December 9, 2015 by John S

If you have an aversion for political commentary, look away! Not party political – I don’t do that because of my job. This was prompted by my experience these last two days.

I’ve just been to Zagreb, in Croatia, to attend and speak at a conference which was part of the International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, at the invitation of the British Embassy there. On the way back I was talking to the driver, who was great at describing all the developments in Zagreb’s architecture and way of life since what the Croatians call “The Homeland War” – the battle for national independence in the early 1990s. He described how many Croatians of his generation had experienced a “black hole” in their lives for about ten years, when life was all about survival. Things have now got much better of course, and accession to the European Union in 2013 was both a symbol of the progress made and an incentive to tackle things like governance and corruption.

That theme recurred in most of the discussions I had before and during the conference. The importance of being part of the EU, as a means of addressing the things that are still not right in the political and state culture.

That’s the EU, the institution reviled by most of the British media, and mocked by the rest. If it isn’t the threat of unwanted immigrants, it’s straight bananas and “faceless bureaucrats” governing us from afar and strangling us with regulation.

Such is the dislike of the EU in parts of the British political firmament that we are now committed to having an in/out referendum in 2016 or 17. The British government is seeking to negotiate a new settlement for Britain, at exactly the same time as Europe is grappling with so many more important things: the refugee crisis, the terrorist threat, the travails of the Euro, the economic woes of some of the member states and the transitional challenges for those new members like Croatia. The Prime Minister will present the outcome of the negotiations to the British electorate as the basis for their decision.

I can guarantee you that the arguments as the campaign progresses will be depressing in the extreme. The Outs will cite immigration, regulation, loss of sovereignty. Basically foreigners messing up our country. They’ll claim we can be like Switzerland or Singapore – utterly different countries in size, diversity, economic and political importance. The Ins will start with positives about the economics of the single market, but will give up half way through and rely on scare stories: loss of jobs, no influence in the world, deserted by America, and so on.

No-one will recite the sort of thing I heard in Croatia. No one will suggest that as a part of that vital change, we in the UK can play a valuable role through sharing our experience. If they do try no-one will listen. You won’t see much in the press about the fact that that very existence of the EU has allowed Western and Central Europe resolve its differences through negotiation rather than fighting since 1945. And that it may achieve the same in Eastern Europe now. This is so not-to-be-underestimated. The previous history of all of Europe was near-constant war over the centuries.

These are the intangibles that make staying in the EU – and playing a positive part – a no-brainer for me. Solidarity: never more important than at this time when there are so many grave challenges. That solidarity was evident at Wembley the other night, when English football fans – yes, the fans once known for their hooligan antics across the continent – stood with the French and sang the Marseillaise. How do we bottle that and inject it into the political culture?

So, to be honest, I hope the fear of the unknown, and maybe people’s memories of those enjoyable European holidays, be they the trip round the Venetian canals or the beach and rave in Ibiza, or even the trip to Calais to get some good value wine, swing it for the In vote.

But right now, it seems to be in the balance.

Crazy.

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Have You Heard? – (70) “Light on our Limbs” by Daisy Vaughan

Posted on December 3, 2015 by John S

So we had one beautiful album earlier this week with Astrid Williamson – this is even better! I first heard Daisy Vaughan on Marc Riley (BBC 6 Music) back in September. The track was “Earth, Let Me In”. I thought, this is rather lovely, made a note of it and then forgot about it. Earlier this week I caught up with some of those accumulated notes and downloaded the 7 track album (EP?), “Light on our Limbs”. I’ve hardly listened to anything else since.

It’s a spare, echoey sound, atmospheric and absolutely gorgeous. Apart from a delicately picked guitar it is all about Daisy Vaughan’s voice. It’s haunting almost; tremulous and so beautiful. Every track is good, but I guess the title track at the end is my favourite – for now. I still love the first one I heard, “Earth, Let Me In” too. And there’s a song called “Ya Esta”, sung in Spanish, which is entrancing.

It might be categorised as folk, but it’s not really. I’d say it is in the same territory as Ben Howard on his first album, maybe Ellie Gould early on, too. I hear hints of Joni Mitchell and perhaps Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins.

Some quick research tells me that Daisy is from Norwich and is 18 years old. She puts poetry on her website too. I can hear the metallists mocking, but this is wonderful music, to be enjoyed by anyone. I’ve included a Soundcloud link which has four tracks from the album. Give it a whirl.

I’m kicking myself that she was at Latitude and I didn’t go to see her. She was on at the Lavish Lounge around 1.30 on Sunday. Easy one to miss. And I was watching Duke Garwood at the time, who was awesome.

I’ll be interested to see what she does next.

 

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